Project Summary

CHildren Investigating Science with Parents and Afterschool

CHISPA is a national collaboration between the Frost Museum of Science, the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the ASPIRA Association, and a network of ten other science museums located in cities with growing Latino populations, working together to build stronger communities and increase the engagement of Hispanic children and their families with science and local science resources.

The project builds on the previous investment of NSF resources in development of the Afterschool Program Exploring Science (APEX) model, developed by the Frost Museum of Science, and will expand its reach and provide additional elements to increase family engagement and ensure future sustainability.

As part of the afterschool science engagement, participating community-based organizations are using the APEX Science curriculum which includes 32 inquiry-based lessons that provide opportunities for indoor and outdoor investigations throughout the school year to engage elementary-age children in science. The APEX Science curriculum addresses age-appropriate science concepts, including life science, nature of science, energy, processes that shape the Earth, nature of matter, environmental science, forces of motion, and Earth/space science.

The goal of Padres Comprometidos con CHISPA is for parents to learn more about the importance of science for their child’s future, use home foundations and family support to ensure required science standards are met and exceeded, and know what school and community resources are available to help.

The aim of the program is to support parents and increase their capacity to be active partners in their children’s education; making connections with their children around science and increasing their appreciation of afterschool programs and their local science museums as an academic support network.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation, Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL), under Grant No. DRL-1323516. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.